Apple fans have long considered themselves some of the most discerning consumers in tech. But according to a report by United States phone and tech buyback site, SellCell, they have another claim they can accurately make as well: That they are more active when it comes to recycling electronics waste.
As per the study, Apple owners lead the way when it comes to recycling e-waste—recycling 13.8% more devices than Samsung users. They also blow away the total recycling figures of other brands including LG, Google, Motorola, OnePlus, and more.
Apple’s Commitment to Recycling
In total, Apple devices make up more than 47.7% of recycled gadgets. Samsung devices, by comparison, make up 33.9%.
SellCell reportedly gathered the data over a period of two years. What’s not clear is the exact methodology used. The information is reportedly gathered from, “analyzing hundreds of thousands of consumers data during that time.”
But it doesn’t necessarily explain how it accounts for the number of recycled products as a percentage of the total devices sold. Since Apple has long stopped breaking down unit sales of its iPhones, let alone other products it sells smaller quantities of, at best this could be reliant only on other analyst figures. That makes it tough to prove that Apple fans are better recyclers on average, so much as that they collectively recycle more devices.
Nonetheless, it’s a data point Apple execs would likely be cheered to hear about. Particularly under the leadership of current CEO Tim Cook, Apple has been very proactive about sustainability and the environment.
This is seen in everything from the company’s commitment to alternative energy sources powering its Apple Stores, offices, and, increasingly, supply chain, to its recent decision to stop packaging EarPods and a wall charger with the iPhone.
Right to Recycle?
Interestingly, the study breaks down other recycling stats, too. One of these is that California, Apple’s home state, has the best record for recycling tech–with 20.5% of recyclers being located in the western US state.
The slight irony when it comes to Apple recycling, of course, is that the company’s products are notoriously tough to repair. Right-to-repair activists and proponents have long taken exception to the way that Apple makes it difficult for users to fix devices when they’ve been busted. That, in turn, contributes to the e-waste problem.
To be fair to Apple, this isn’t something the Cupertino company is guilty of in isolation. Many manufacturers make devices that aren’t easy to repair, meaning that users wind up ditching old devices and buying shiny new ones instead.
As a leader in the industry in all sorts of ways, that’s something Apple could work to improve in the future.
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